Waltzing Matilda | Lyrics | Song | Meaning | Words | Music | Poem Waltzing Matilda Waltzing Matilda Australia's Favourite Song Waltzing Matilda Lyrics Waltzing Matilda Song Words Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong, Under the shade of a coolibah tree, And he sang as he watched and waited 'til his billy boiled, Who'll come a-waltzing, Matilda, with me? Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda, Who'll come a-waltzing, Matilda, with me? And he sang as he watched and waited 'til his billy boiled, Who'll come a-waltzing, Matilda, with me? Along came a jumbuck to drink at the billabong, Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him with glee, And he sang as he stowed that jumbuck in his tucker bag, You'll come a-waltzing, Matilda, with me. Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda, Who'll come a-waltzing, Matilda, with me?

And he sang as he watched and waited 'til his billy boiled, Who'll come a-waltzing, Matilda, with me? Up rode the squatter, mounted on his thoroughbred, Down came the troopers, one, two, three, Whose is that jumbuck you've got in your tucker bag? You'll come a-waltzing, Matilda, with me. Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda, Who'll come a-waltzing, Matilda, with me? And he sang as he watched and waited 'til his billy boiled, Who'll come a-waltzing, Matilda, with me? Up jumped the swagman, leapt into the billabong, You'll never catch me alive, said he, And his ghost may be heard as you pass by the billabong, Who'll come a-waltzing, Matilda, with me. Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda, Who'll come a-waltzing, Matilda, with me? And he sang as he watched and waited 'til his billy boiled, Who'll come a-waltzing, Matilda, with me?

Art by Trishan Waltzing Matilda About the Song The lyrics to the song Waltzing Matilda were written in 1895 by Banjo Paterson , an Australian bush poet, while holidaying on a huge cattle and sheep station in the Australian Outback . He was inspired by a tune he heard being played by Christina Macpherson the daughter the owner of the property. Banjo and Christina worked together composing the song. He wrote the words while she set the music for Waltzing Matilda. The song was an instant hit and today Waltzing Matilda is an Australian icon. It is likely that more Australians know the words to this song than even their national anthem. Meaning of Words Used "Strine" Words - What They Mean This song used many uniquely Australian words referred to as Strine . They are explained below. Jolly - means happy. Swagman - a hobo, an itinerant worker, who travelled from place to place in search of work. A swagman usually carried all his belongings wrapped up in a blanket called a swag. Billabong - a waterhole or pond. It is an aboriginal word that originally meant little or no water.

Coolibah Tree - a eucalyptus tree which usually grows near water. The name coolibah is derived from the aboriginal word gulabaa. Billy - a tin can with a wire handle used to boil water. If the swagman was fortunate he may have boiled some tea in it. Jumbuck - a sheep. The origin of the word is uncertain. It's most likely derived from two words jumping buck. Tucker Bag - a bag for storing food. It was usually an old sugar or flour sack. Tucker is a slang word for food. Squatter - a wealthy landowner, a rancher. Thoroughbred - An expensive pedigreed horse. The Mercedes Benz equivalent of its day. Trooper - a policeman, a mounted militia-man. Waltzing Matilda Explained Waltzing Matilda - Meaning of the Song The song tells the story of a swagman in outback Queensland, Australia in the mid-1890s. 1st Verse A swagman is resting under a eucalyptus tree on the banks of a watering-hole. He is singing and passing the time. He has lit a fire and is boiling something in a tin can (most likely tea).

2nd Verse While there, he notices a sheep wandering down to the watering-hole for a drink. The swagman catches the sheep, kills it, probably eats what he can and stows the rest in his backpack. (Swagmen were itinerant workers who were so poor they didn't know where their next meal would come from. So this sheep was an opportunity too good to miss). 3rd Verse Unfortunately for the swagman, the wealthy landowner comes by the water-hole. He is mounted on his fine, expensive horse and is accompanied by three policemen. They catch the hapless swagman red-handed with the remains of the sheep, telling him that he is under arrest for stealing and killing the sheep. 4th Verse Absolutely terrified the swagman leaps up and jumps into the watering-hole hoping to escape. Unfortunately, he drowns in the waterhole. Ever since that day his ghost still haunts the waterhole and can be heard singing his song. Meaning of the Phrase 'Waltzing Matilda' What Does the Phrase Actually Mean? The title of the song is derived from an Australian phrase "waltzing the matilda" which is no longer in use today.

It is believed to have originated from German immigrants who started settling in Australia from 1838. Waltzing is from the German term 'auf der walz' which meant to travel while learning a trade. Young German apprentices in those days travelled from place to place working under a master craftsman earning a living as they went and sleeping wherever they could. The German word 'walz' became 'waltz' in Australia. The waltz was a fashionable dance at the time and Australians were familiar with it. Matilda has German origins too and means Mighty Battle Maiden. It is believed to have been given to females who accompanied soldiers during the Thirty Year Wars in Europe. This came to mean "to be kept warm at night" and later to mean the great army coats or blankets that soldiers wrapped themselves with. These were rolled into a swag and carried behind their shoulders while marching. So 'waltzing the matilda' came to mean to travel from place to place in search of work with all your belongings on your back, wrapped in a blanket. This is what Swagmen did in outback Australia. When the song was written the word "the" was dropped from the title becoming Waltzing Matilda.

Banjo Paterson Who Wrote Waltzing Matilda? Andrew Barton (Banjo) Paterson (1864-1941) was one of Australia's greatest poets authored the lyrics to Waltzing Matilda. He was born on 17 February 1864 at Narrambla near Orange, New South Wales . He was the eldest of seven children. Banjo's early childhood was spent in Australian Outback . He used his early childhood experiences frequently in his poems and writing. In 1874 he was sent to Sydney Grammar School and then went on to became a lawyer in 1886. It was while a law student that he began writing poetry and adopted the nickname "Banjo". His first poem, 'El Mahdi to the Australian Troops', was published in the Bulletin newspaper in February 1885. A string of other poems and Waltzing Matilda soon followed. These were very popular with the public and he was soon a local celebrity. Banjo served as a war correspondent in South Africa during the Boer War . In 1902 he gave up his legal practice to concentrate on his writing.

In 1903 he was appointed editor of the Sydney Evening News. On 8 April 1903 he married Alice Emily. They had two children. In World War I he drove an ambulance and later served in the Middle East. He was wounded in 1916 but served until the end of the war. After the war Banjo resumed journalism. He retired from active journalism in 1930 to devote his leisure to creative writing. He died of a heart attack at the age of 76, on 5 February 1941. Christina Macpherson Who Wrote the Music for Waltzing Matilda? Christina Macpherson inspired Banjo Paterson to write Waltzing Matilda. She also played and arranged the original music for the song. Christina was 31 years old when she visited the family property of Dagworth in 1995. While at Winton a town close to the property she happened a chance meeting with an old school friend Sarah Riley. Sarah was visiting her family with her fiancée Banjo Paterson. Christina and her family invited Sarah and Banjo to come visit them at Dagworth.

As part of an evening's entertainment at Dagworth Homestead (ranch house) Christina played a tune on her zither. Banjo asked her what the tune was and she told him she didn't know. (The tune in question is the Scottish song " Bonnie Wood O' Craigielea ") Banjo liked the tune and immediately started to put down some words to it. Christina and Banjo worked though the score, Christina playing the tune on her zither and Banjo penning the words as they came to mind. Related Article: Christina Macpherson — The Woman Who Inspired Waltzing Matilda Waltzing Matilda Becomes Australia's Favorite Song Evolution into Today's Iconic Song The story of Waltzing Matilda didn't end with Banjo Paterson and Christina Macpherson writing the song and gaining popularity as a bush ballad in the Australian outback. In 1900 Paterson sold the lyrics, to what he considered just a minor little ditty, bundled together with a number of other works to Angus and Robertson publishers for the princely sum of "five quid" (about A$670). We can only guess that he probably valued the song for about $20.

Rights to the Song Bought by the Billy Tea Company According to records held by the State Library of New South Wales, James Inglis & Co bought a bundle of lyrics from Angus & Robertson in 1902. In this bundle were the lyrics for Waltzing Matilda. James Inglis & Co was a major importer of tea and sold over 680,000 kilos (1.5 million lbs) of tea a year under the "Billy Tea" trademark. They were in search of a catchy tune to promote their tea. Waltzing Matilda, they thought, with a little improvement, would be just perfect. Waltzing Matilda Rearranged by Marie Cowan Marie Cowan, the wife of one of the managers working at James Inglis & Co and a gifted musician, was entrusted with the task of writing a tune to the lyrics. Fortunately, Marie had heard the original musical tune composed by Christina. So she set about recomposing the tune and changing some of the lyrics of the song to better fit the melody. The sheet music and lyrics were then printed and wrapped around containers of Billy Tea and as a promotional gimmick. It wasn't long before the song gained widespread popularity.

This version of the song, known as the Marie Cowan version , is the one we hear today. Waltzing Matilda Goes to War Waltzing Matilda travelled with Australian troopers to the Boer War, then the First World War where it was sung boisterous by Australian soldiers and picked up by troops of other nationalities such as the British and Americans. Before long it was known throughout the world even though, in most instances, those singing it had no idea where the song originated. For over a century now, it has been a favourite with Australian troops whenever they travel overseas. Waltzing Matilda is Over a Century Old and Still a Favorite Waltzing Matilda is one of those rare songs that hasn't aged. It has been with us for over a century as is still popular today. It is frequently used in major public events. Some say that more Australian know the words to this song than possibly even their national anthem. Listen to Waltzing Matilda On YouTube Wondered what Waltzing Matilda sounds like? Click on the image on the left to find out. Waltzing Matilda was first sung publicly in 1895. Since then it has gone on to become Australia's favorite song.

There are over 700 different versions of Waltzing Matilda. These have been recorded by such famous singers such as Slim Dusty, Rod Stewart, Johnny Cash, The Seekers,and Bill Haley & Comets. The oldest surviving recording of the song was made in 1926 on a wax disk and lasted only two minutes. Click image to hear the first recording of Waltzing Matilda First Recording of Waltzing Matilda The first known recording of the song was made in 1926 in London, England by a singer named John Collinson. The recording is barely two minutes long. It almost seems like the singer was rushing through the song to make sure it all fitted in the old-fashioned wax recording disc which only had a recording capacity of about two and a half minutes. While it can clearly be recognized as Waltzing Matilda, it is interesting to note that this version is different from the one we are familiar with today. There is a subtle but noticeable difference in the melody. How Waltzing Matilda was Written Why Waltzing Matilda was Written The lyrics to Waltzing Matilda was written by Banjo Paterson while visiting Dagworth Station in 1895 in far north Queensland, Australia.

This huge property, of over a quarter of a million acres, was owned by the family of Christina Macpherson . Christina's brother, Bob, managed this vast property. Click on the image to hear an Autoharp. While riding in a coach to Dagworth they saw a swagman walking along the dusty road. Bob Macpherson turned to Banjo and said "that's what they call waltzing matilda". During his stay at Dagworth, Bob Macpherson and Banjo stopped at a billabong where they found the remains of a sheep slaughtered by a swagman. For an evening's entertainment, Banjo frequently heard Christina play a tune on her zither. Banjo liked the "whimsicality and dreaminess" of the tune and thought it would be nice to set some words to it. He and Christina collaborated on this song, Using bits and pieces of information he had gathered during his visit, Banjo penning some lyrics and Christina arranging the music and soon the song we know today as Waltzing Matilda was born. Related Article: How Waltzing Matilda was Written Versions of Waltzing Matilda There are a Few There are no definitive version of lyrics to the song Waltzing Matilda.

The Queensland / Banjo Patterson version is believe to be the original written by Banjo Paterson and has a definite bush ballad tone to it. Another version, known as the Harry Nathen version, is now lost. The most popular version heard today is the Marie Cowan version, which has a merry sing-a-long tone to it. There are over 700 different recorded versions of this song by local and international artists. This document is at billabong An originally aboriginal word for a section of still water adjacent to a river, cut off by a change in the watercourse, cf. an oxbow lake. In the Australian outback, a billabong generally retains water longer than the watercourse itself, so it may be the only water for miles around. billy A tin can, maybe two litres (four pints) in capacity, usually with a wire handle attached to the top rim, in which 'swaggies' (and contemporary Australian campers) boil water to make tea (and to kill the beasties in the water they've taken out of the billabong). coolibah tree (also coolabah) A particular kind of eucalyptus that grows beside billabongs.

More specifically, a friend tells me that it's eucalyptus microtheca, a small to medium-sized tree to 20m, widespread in arid and semi-arid areas near watercourses and seasonally inundated areas in open woodlands, found in all states except Victoria and Tasmania. jumbuck A sheep. The Macquarie Dictionary suggests that the term is an Aboriginal corruption of 'jump up'. A correspondent, Leslie (Lee) Harvey advises me that the term derives from 'jombok'. "Jomboks are those big, white, fluffy clouds that typically drift across the inland Australian skies in late summer and Autumn. When the aboriginals first saw sheep they were reminded of jomboks and they just changed one letter to avoid confusion in their spoken language. I also think the first European translators misspelled the word jumbuck". squatter As Australia was settled, there was of course little or no authority and bureaucracy in place. People 'squatted' on patches of land, grazed their animals, grew their crops and built their houses and fences.

In due course, as authority arrived, it generally accepted the claims of whoever was in apparent possession of the land (aboriginals had been no match for armed white men, and anyway were largely nomadic across reasonably large areas). Particularly in good quality grazing country, squatters quickly became relatively very well off, hence the term 'squattocracy' which blends 'squatter' with 'aristocracy'. The constabulary tended to work with them to maintain law and order. To non-land-owners, squatters were an object of resentment. swagman A gentleman of the road, an itinerant roaming country roads, a drifter, a tramp, a hobo. Carried his few belongings slung in a cloth, which was called by a wide variety of names, including 'swag', 'shiralee' and 'bluey'. Given the large number of names for them, they must have been a pretty common sight. troopers A cavalry soldier, or perhaps a mounted militia-man or policeman. To a swaggie, what was the difference?? tucker-bag A bag to keep tucker in. Tucker is grub, victuals/vittles, or food.

waltzing matilda Matilda was a mock-romantic word for a swag, and to waltz matilda was to hit the road with a swag on your back. Very few non-Australians seem to understand this, and hence regard the song as gibberish or cute, something like 'Jabberwocky' set to music. "'Twas brillig and the slithy toves ..." indeed. The term is thought to come from a German expression. Auf die Walz gehen means to take to the road (as of apprentices in the Middle Ages, who were required by their Master to visit other Masters and report back, before they could secure their release. In some trades, at least in some parts of Germany and I believe Denmark, they still do). The dance, anglicised as 'waltz', came several centuries later). Matilda is a girl's name, applied to one's bed-roll. As a correspondent points out, this is a bit of a come-down for a name that originated as the Teutonic Mathilde - 'Mighty in Battle'. So the poem (doggerel? folk song?) can be interpreted as yet another Aussie complaint about them in authority.

We're one of the most urbanised nations in the world, who sort-of yearn for the wide open spaces (there's so much of it out there!), and the freedom that goes with it (or at least seems to go with it, to those that don't live there). So Waltzing Matilda strikes a chord (so to speak), generation after generation, for the same reason that Crocodile Dundee was as popular here as anywhere else - we know we're not like that; but it's fun pretending for a while that we are. Note: These are my own explanations and interpretations, checked against the Macquarie Dictionary; except for the origins of the term to 'waltz matilda', which, like most Australians, I didn't know until I looked it up. Another Note: The only one of these words that's basically died out of Australian english is 'jumbuck', although 'troopers' is a bit dated, and 'waltzing matilda' only survives because of this song.

An Aside: When the trooper says "where's that jolly jumbuck you've got in your tuckerbag?", he seems like a right galah (twit, twerp, nerd/nurd, fool), asking a question he's already declared he knows the answer to. Actually, it's quite sensible, because, at least in Australian english, you say it with your hand extended expectantly, and it means "give it back!". There's lots of examples of such perversity in the language, derivative, I reckon, from the significant Irish element in early Australia (ever wondered why a redhead's called 'blue'?). A Final Aside: Many non-Australians assume that the cute-sounding place-names and other words in Australian english are from the Aboriginal language. In fact, there were hundreds of aboriginal languages, and many language families largely unrelated to one another. An illustration of the confusions that this has led to relates to the 'kangaroo'. The word was brought back to Britain by Captain Cook in 1770, along with the first drawings of the animal. He had heard it used by North Queensland aboriginals during one of his landings up there.

When the first white settlement was established at Sydney in 1788, over 2,000 kilometers south of Cook's landing, the local aboriginals heard the white men referring to the animal as 'kangaroo', and assumed it was the white man's name for the thing. I wonder if anyone knows what it was called in the language of the local tribe on the shores of Sydney Harbour (the Dhurag - spelt whichever way you like, because they had no written language, and are long since extinct). The sailors, marines and convicts didn't have an anthropologist with them at the time, let alone a linguistics professor. Atalkingdog - Waltzing Matilda - what's it about? Home Page >> From the show >> Waltzing Matilda - what's it about? Waltzing Matilda -a loose translation for non-Australians Words by A.B.(Banjo) Patterson Waltzing Matilda is in many ways Australia's unofficial national anthem. Lots of Aussies would love to have it made our official national anthem, and millions of people all over the world are familiar with the song, yet a surprising number haven't got the vaguest idea what it's about.

So in the interests of education and enlightenment, we present a translation of the song into modern idiom, so you can have some idea what's going on. (These explanatory notes are the opinion of Mike Kear, host of Music from Foggy Hollow and not necessarily those of Banjo Patterson.) 1. Once a jolly swagman, camped by a billabong under the shade of a coolabah tree And he sang as he sat and waited while his billy boiled You'll come a waltzing matilda with me A swagman, is a hobo or a tramp. You dont see many of them these days, but they used to be everywhere, strolling along the roads and byways scrounging a meal here and there where they could, with their swag over their shoulder. A swag is the bundle of possessions - the bag on the end of the stick containing all his "stuff". Interestingly, Aussies so love slang, that they create slang terms for other slang terms. Matilda is slang for a swag. A coolabah tree is just a gum tree, and a billy is a kind of kettle for cooking or boiling water for tea.

So in short, this first verse means a tramp or a hobo is sitting in the shade of a tree boiling up some water over a fire to make some tea, probably because he had no food for a meal. Chorus: Waltzing matilda, waltzing matilda Who'll come a-waltzing matilda with me And he sang as he sat and waited while his billy boiled Who'll come a-waltzing matilda with me Waltzing is slang for walking. So the chorus tag line goes . "walking with my stuff". Not quite as catchy as the actual tag line huh. And the line has nothing to do with the famous mondegreen, beloved by so many teachers .. "Andy Sang as he watched ... " who's Andy? 2.

Down came a jumbuck to drink at the billabong up jumped the swagman and grabbed him with glee And he sang as he stuffed that jumbuck in his tucker bag You'll come a-waltzing matilda with me A jumbuck is slang for a sheep, and a billabong, that's like a bend in the river but the river's straightened out and its left this little boomerang of water like a dam or a waterhole. Ok so the sheep came down for a drink and, the swaggie's jumped on it and grabbed it. He's a sheep stealer. Tucker means "food" so the sheep is definitely going to become lambchops in the very near future. But the swaggie's a bit worried about cooking it right here, so he stuffs it in his tuckerbag - his food bag - and prepares to high-tail it out of there - take his forthcoming meal - a-waltzing.

Chorus: Waltzing matilda, waltzing matilda Who'll come a-waltzing matilda with me And he sang as he stuffed that jumbuck in his tucker bag Who'll come a-waltzing matilda with me When I was a teenager, we used to infuriate my mother by singing "and he sang as he stuffed that blondegirl in his sleeping bag", but we were but saplings with the sap only just starting to rise in our bodies then. 3. Down came the squatter, mounted on his thoroughbred UP rode the troopers one, two, three Who's that jolly jumbuck you've got in your tuckerbag You'll come a-waltzing matilda with me Now this is where it gets interesting .. A squatter is the landowner. Not exactly loved by many of the population. Australia in the early days had a significant proportion of the population who had been convicts, and landowners to them represented everything they loathed. However, the squatters could call on the authorities when they needed them, while the swaggies couldn't. thoroughbred of course is a fancy horse.

The squatter's wealthy as indicated by the fact he has a thoroughbred horse, when mere mortals had lesser horses, often former brumbies (wild horses). up rode the troopers, one two three: uh oh .. here are the cops. "Who's that jolly jumbuck ... " oh yea like he's going to know the name of the sheep. 'Dolly'? Actually they're saying "please can we have the sheep back if you dont mind please sir". Or words to that effect. Now, when they're saying "you'll come a-waltzing matilda with me" it's the swaggie who's going to be a-walking - they're arresting him and taking him downtown. Chorus: Waltzing matilda, waltzing matilda Who'll come a-waltzing matilda with me Who's that jolly jumbuk you've got in your tucker bag Who'll come a-waltzing matilda with me Have you got the picture yet? Another little-known fact is that A.B. "Banjo" Patterson, the author of the song was named not after the musical instrument, but after a horse his father owned.

Patterson wrote the lyrics and they were put to several tunes. 4. Up jumped the swagman, and leapt into the billabong "You'll never catch me alive," said he and his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong, 'You'll come a-waltzing matilda with me' But the swaggie's got different ideas. This is the sad bit so get your tissues ready. The swaggie doesn't want to spend the rest of his days in jail for knocking off one lousy sheep so he jumps into the waterhole to drown himself. Chorus: Waltzing matilda, waltzing matilda Who'll come a-waltzing matilda with me and his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong Who'll come a-waltzing matilda with me So there it is .. what many would like to be Australia's national anthem .. "a penniless tramp steals a sheep, a rich farmer brings the cops and catches him and he commits suicide rather than face the music." A little different in theme to "rockets red glare" and "Land of hope and glory" and "God Save the Queen" don't you think?

But that's what appeals to many Australians - the larrikin side of us. Around the site Email Us Joke of the Week One day the first grade teacher was reading the story of the Three Little Pigs to her class. She came to the part of the story where the first pig was trying to accumulate the building materials for his home. She read,"...And so the pig went up to the man with the wheelbarrow full of straw and said, 'Pardon me sir, but may I have some of that straw to build my house?" The teacher paused then asked the class, "And what do you think that man said?" One little boy raised his hand and said, "I think he said... 'Holy crap, a talking pig!" The teacher was unable to teach for the next 10 minutes. More humour: >> Random Quickie Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should get used to the idea. Rolf Harris :: Waltzing Matilda (with lyrics and explanation of them) - YouTube Rolf Harris :: Waltzing Matilda (with lyrics and explanation of them) Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video?

Sign in to report inappropriate content. The interactive transcript could not be loaded. Loading... Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Jul 12, 2008 Rolf Harris singing waltzing Matilda ... Australias National Anthem (should be), in his charismatic way ... I'm not sure when Rolf Harris recorded Waltzing Matilda, but I know he sang it on Sunday Night at The London Palladium in the sixties. I have tried to include most of the fish, reptiles, mammals and marsupials that are found in Australasia (in alphabetical order) ... but I am well sure that I have missed a few hundred ... I think that there are at least 100 species of birds, and many more snakes, lizards, mammals and for sure fish ... but I might be wrong ... ha ha. So ... way to goooo ... I hope you enjooooy. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Oh nearly forgot the lyrics ... Watzing Matilda lyrics ... some written by Rolf Harris ...

namely the intro Spoken ( Waltzing Matilda is a song about an Australian Hobo I guess you'd call him. He wanders through the bush- land of Australia and he takes all his meager belongings wrapped up in an old blanket which is strung across his shoulders with an old piece of twine ... and this is called his swag. Hence the name swagman. Now affectionately or otherwise he refers to his swag as Matilda, its like his only companion as he wanders through the bush tracks ... he finds himself talking to it as if its a real person ... So the term Waltzing Matilda is nothing to do with dancing at all, it means in fact carrying this thing on your back through the long lonely stretches of the Australian bush... Couple of other terms quickly, pay attention because I will be asking questions afterwards about this, (the audience titters a bit) ... couple of other terms. A billabong is a pool of deep water, a billy is a little tin can they boil the tea in, a jumbuck is a sheep ... err tucker bag is a bag for carrying tucker (more audience twitters with one guy giving it deep gwaarfs) food bag ...

tucker is food ... sort of like a knapsack. What else ??? the squatter is the big land owner, THAT'S ENOUGH LET'S GET ON WITH THE SONG.) Rikkyhardo comment now (What an intro folks ...

I told you this guy is great) Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong Under the shade of a Coolibah tree And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled You'll come a waltzing Matilda with me Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me Then down came a jumbuck to drink at that billabong Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him with glee And he sang as he shoved that jumbuck in his tucker bag You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me And he sang as he shoved that jumbuck in his tucker bag You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me Then down came the squatter mounted on his thoroughbred Down came the troopers one two three Right-o where's that jolly jumbuck that you've got in your tucker bag?

You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me Right-o where's that jolly jumbuck that you've got in your tucker bag? You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me So up jumped the swagman and he sprang into that billabong You'll never take me alive said he And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong You'll come a-waltz .... You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me. Category Rolf Harris - Watzing Matilda lyrics | LyricsMode.com Watzing Matilda lyrics To explain lyrics, select line or word and click "Explain". Create lyrics explanation Select some words and click "Explain" button. Then type your knowledge, add image or YouTube video till "Good-o-meter" shows "Cool" or "Awesome!". Publish your explanation with "Explain" button. Get karma points! OK, got it! New! Read & write lyrics explanations Highlight lyrics and explain them to earn Karma points.

Rolf Harris – Watzing Matilda lyrics Spoken (Waltzing Matilda is a song about an Australian Hobo I guess you'd call him. He wanders through the bush land of Australia and he takes all his meagre belongings wrapped up in an old blanket which is strung across his Shoulders with an old piece of twine and this is called his swag. Hence the name swagman. Now affectionately or otherwise he refers to his swag as Matilda, its like his only companion As he wanders through the bush tracks he finds himself talking To it as if its a real person. So the term Waltzing Matilda is nothing To do with dancing at all, it means in fact carrying this thing on your back through the long lonely stretches of the Australian bush. Couple of other terms quickly, pay attention because I will be asking questions afterwards about this, couple of other terms. A billabong is a pool of deep water, a billy is a little tin can they Boil the tea in, a jumbuck is a sheep, err tucker bag is a bag for carrying tucker, food bag tucker is food sort of like a knapsack.

What else the squatter is the big land owner, that's enough lets get on with the song.) Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong Under the shade of a Coolibah tree And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled You'll come a waltzing Matilda with me Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me Then down came a jumbuck to drink at that billabong Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him with glee And he sang as he shoved that jumbuck in his tucker bag You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me And he sang as he shoved that jumbuck in his tucker bag You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me Then down came the squatter mounted on his thoroughbred Down came the troopers one two three Right-o where's that jolly jumbuck that you've got in your tucker bag?

You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me Right-o where's that jolly jumbuck that you've got in your tucker bag? You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me So up jumped the swagman and he sprang into that billabong You'll never take me alive said he And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong You'll come a-waltz.... You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me. Lyrics taken from ROLF HARRIS - WALTZING MATILDA LYRICS Waltzing Matilda Lyrics ( Waltzing Matilda is a song about an Australian Hobo I guess you'd call him. He wanders through the bush land of Australia and he takes all his meagre belongings wrapped up in an old blanket which is strung across his shoulders with an old piece of twine and this is called his swag. Hence the name swagman.

Now affectionately or otherwise he refers to his swag as Matilda, its like his only companion as he wanders through the bush tracks he finds himself talking to it as if its a real person. So the term Waltzing Matilda is nothing to do with dancing at all, it means in fact carrying this thing on your back through the long lonely stretches of the Australian bush. Couple of other terms quickly, pay attention because I will be asking questions afterwards about this, couple of other terms. A billabong is a pool of deep water, a billy is a little tin can they boil the tea in, a jumbuck is a sheep, err tucker bag is a bag for carrying tucker, food bag tucker is food sort of like a knapsack.

What else the squatter is the big land owner, that's enough lets get on with the song.) Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong Under the shade of a Coolibah tree And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled You'll come a waltzing Matilda with me Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me Then down came a jumbuck to drink at that billabong Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him with glee And he sang as he shoved that jumbuck in his tucker bag You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me And he sang as he shoved that jumbuck in his tucker bag You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me Then down came the squatter mounted on his thoroughbred Down came the troopers one two three Right-o where's that jolly jumbuck that you've got in your tucker bag?

You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me Right-o where's that jolly jumbuck that you've got in your tucker bag? You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me So up jumped the swagman and he sprang into that billabong You'll never take me alive said he And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong You'll come a-waltz .... You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me. Unfortunately we're not authorized to show these lyrics. Waltzing Matilda WALTZING MATILDA [ Guitar Chords ] Waltzing Matilda is, briefly, a song about a tramp who camps by a creek and steals a sheep. Three policemen arrive; rather than submit to capture, the tramp commits suicide by drowning himself in the creek.

It's not exactly in the same league as " The Star-Spangled Banner " or " La Marseillaise ", but it's the song that Australians get teary-eyed over when they hear it played a long way from home. The official anthem, by the way, is " Advance Australia Fair "; on Royal occasions in Australia, " God Save our Queen " is played. Why do Australians find Waltzing Matilda so unutterably poignant? I'm not sure, but I think the answer lies deep in the Australian psyche. Waltzing Matilda is very much a nationalist song. The tramp steals a sheep; he then chooses to die at his own hand for this trifling crime - as though the sheep's life were more valuable than his own. Remember that Australia was colonised by convicts sentenced to " transportation " from England, often for trivial property offences; Australians are still suspicious of authority, and cynical about the pomposity and hypocrisy of the judicial and police systems. Waltzing Matilda - to me, at least - brings thoughts of the slaughter of Australian troops at Gallipoli (Turkey) in 1915.

Massive incompetence on the part of British politicians (chiefly Winston Churchill ) and generals led to a death toll that hit every town and every city in what was then still a tiny nation. The cynicism about war and the concept of "Empire" is elegantly expressed in Eric Bogle's " And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda ". You can hear a few bars of this in RealAudio this by clicking here . There's an entire web site devoted to Waltzing Matilda at , and also some urban legend debunking at . Waltzing Matilda is sometimes performed as a brisk march; but I'd much rather hear it played in sad, almost wistful measures. Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong, Under the shade of a coolibah tree , And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled, "Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me? Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda,

Question: In the song Waltzing Matilda - What is a Jumbuck?
Answer: Sheep